Dual type flush valve and selective operator therefor



Jan. 241, 1956 E. P. GROTH El AL 2,731,647

DUAL TYPE FLUSH VALVE AND SELECTIVE OPERATOR THEREFOR Filed ma 25, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 f .37 '2; 5 of IN V EN TORS E/VD/f 1 6:?077/ ggfOFf R 14 5/52 1955 E. P. GROTH ET AL DUAL TYPE FLUSH VALVE AND SELECTIVE OPERATOR THEREFOR Filed May 25, 1955 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent DUAL TYPE FLUSH VALVE AND SELECTIVE OPERATOR THEREFGR Endie P. Groth and George R. Weisz, Brainerd, Minn. Application May 25, 1955, Serial No. 511,056

2 Claims. (Cl. 4-67) Our invention relates to flushing devices for use in the flushing tank of a closet bowl and, more particularly, to improvements in operating mechanism for double flush valves.

The primary object of our invention is the provision of an operating mechanism for selectively flushing either of a pair of flush valves, which mechanism is inexpensive to produce, has a minimum of working parts, and is foolproof and eflicient in operation.

The above and still further objects of our invention will become apparent from the following detailed specification, appended claims, and attached drawings:

Referring to the dawings, wherein like parts are in dicated by like characters throughout the several views:

Fig. l is a view in front elevation of a flush tank showing our mechanism in operation upon a double flush valve installed thereon, some parts being broken away and some parts shown in section;

Fig. 2 is a view in top plan of the structure of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view partly in vertical section and partly in side elevation as seen substantially from the line 22 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 4 is a view in transverse section taken substantially on the line 44 of Fig. 3.

Referring with greater particularity to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates a conventional flushing tank positioned upon the rearward extension 2 of a toilet or closet bowl 3. A tubular valve body 4 has a pair of laterally spaced upstanding pipe-like portions 5 and 6, the former of which terminates in horizontally disposed valve seat 7 and the latter of which terminates in a horizontally disposed valve seat 8 at a higher level than the valve seat 7. As shown, each of the valve seats 7 and 8 are provided with overflow pipes 9 and 10 respectively which project considerably thereabove.

Clamping collars 11 and 12 are secured respectively to the intermediate portions of overflow pipes 9 and 10. The clamping collar 11 carries an arm 13 which at its outer end provides a vertical guide 14 for a vertically disposed lift rod 15. As shown particularly in Fig. l, the guide 14 and lift rod 15 are axially disposed with respect to the valve seat 7. A conventional valve-acting rubber ball 16 is secured to the lower end of the lifting rod 15. The upper end of the lift rod 15 is formed to provide a head-like loop 17. Projecting laterally outwardly from the clamping collar 12 is an arm 18 which is formed at its outer end to provide a guide 19 for a lifting rod 20. Lifting rod 20 is axially disposed with respect to the valve seat 8 and has a valve-acting rubber ball 21 secured to its lower end for cooperation with the valve seat 8. The upper end of lifting rod 20 is formed to provide a headacting loop 22.

Shown as being secured to the overflow pipe 9 above the level of the clamping collar 11 is a clamping sleeve 23. As shown particularly in Figs. 2, 3, and 4, a rocker arm 24 has its intermediate portion pivotally secured as at 25 to an anchoring bracket 26 carried by the clamping sleeve 23.

2,731,647 Patented Jan. 24, 1956 Lever 27 comprises inner and outer lever arms 28 and 29 respectively and a connecting shaft 30 which is journalled for rotation in the front Wall 31 of the tank 1. The outer lever element 29 is in the nature of an operating handle.

For the purpose of establishing conventional lost motion linkage between the lever arm 28 and the lifting rods 15 and 29 I provide a link 32 which has its upper end pivotally secured to the outer end portion of the lever arm 28, as indicated at 33 and its lower end loosely encompassing the lifting rod 15 immediately below the head 17, as indicated at 34. A second rigid lift 35 has its upper end hooked over an upturned end portion 36 of the rocker arm 24 as indicated at 37, and its lower end encompassing the lifting rod 20 immediately below the head 22 thereof as indicated at 38. The outer end portion of the lever arm 23 is operatively connected to the adjacent end of the rocker arm 24 by a rigid link 39 which is pivotally secured at its upper end to the lever arm 28 as indicated at 4%), the intermediate portion of said rigid link extending slidably downwardly through an opening 41 in the adjacent end portion of the rocker arm 24. The rigid link 39 is provided with a rocker arm-engaging element in the nature of a nut-equipped bolt 42 which is disposed in overlying spaced relation to the adjacent end of the rocker arm 24, and which is engageable therewith upon rocking movement of the lever 27 in one direction from a neutral position thereof to impart rocking movement to the rocker arm 24 in one direction.

in the drawings, the operating lever 27 is shown as being in a neutral position with the valve balls 16 and Z1 seated on their respective valve seats 7 and 8. When it is desired to utilize only a portion of the total amount of water within the tank 1 for flushing the closet bowl 3, the handle portion 29 of the operating lever 27 is manually moved in a clockwise direction with respect to Fig. 1. When the operating lever 27 is thus moved, the rigid link 39 carried by the lever arm 28 is moved downwardly until the rocker arm-engaging element 42 moves into operative engagement with the adjacent end of the rocker arm 24 to rock the same in a direction counter-clockwise with respect to Fig. 3. Movement of the rocker arm 24 in this direction causes the lower end portion 38 of the lifting link 35 to engage the head 22 of the lifting rod 20, whereby to raise the valve ball 21 out of engagement with the valve seat 8. Itwill be noted, during the downward movement of the rigid link 39 and corresponding rocking movement of the rocker arm 24, the lifting link 32 also moves downwardly relative to its cooperating lifting rod 15. As clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the lower end portion 34 of the lifting link 32 is upwardly spaced from the vertical guide 14 sufficiently to permit the above described movement of the rocker arm 24, without moving into engagement with the overlying guide 14. When the valve ball 21 is thus raised from its valve seat 8, the same operates in the usual manner, the buoyancy thereof causing the same to float on the surface of the water until the water level reaches substantially the level of the valve seat 8, whereupon the valve ball 21 becomes drawn into seating engagement with the valve seat 8 by force of the water flowing into the upstanding pipe-like portion 6. This function is well known and further detailed discussion thereof is deemed unnecessary. Obviously, when the operating handle has been moved in the aforementioned clockwise direction to unseat the valve ball 21, the handle 29 may be released, subsequent resenting of the ball 21 causing the rocker arm 24 and lever 27 to resume their neutral positions shown in the drawings.

When it is desired to use substantially the entire amount of water in the tank 1 for flushing purposes, the operating handle 29 of the lever 27 is moved in a counter-clockwise direction with respect to Fig. 1 from its neutral position.

This counter-clockwise movement causes the lower end 34 of the lifting link 32 to engage the head 17 of the lifting rod 15 to unseat the valve ball 16 from its respective valve seat 7. It will be noted that during this movement of the lever 27, the rigid link 39 moves upwardly without causing any corresponding movement to be imparted to the rocker arm 24, the link 39 being freely slidable within the slot 41 in the rocker arm 24. Once the valve ball 16 has been unseated from the valve seat 7, the operating handle 29 is released and the lever 27 and parts carried thereby will resume their neutral positions of the drawings. It should be further obvious that the valve ball 16 operates by gravity to reseat itself in the same manner as the valve ball 21 when the water level approaches that of the valve seat 7.

Although not shown, it may be assumed that the tank 1 is provided with the usual water inlet connections and valve mechanism usually associated with devices of the instant variety.

Our invention has been thoroughly tested and found to be completely satisfactory for the accomplishment of the objectives set forth; and while we have shown and described a commercial embodiment of our novel device, it will be understood that the same is capable of modification without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims,

What we claim is:

l. A closet bowl flushing device for use in a flushing tank comprising, a pair of horizontally disposed valve seats at different levels, a pair of valve-acting balls one each mounted for raising and lowering movements with respect to one of said valve seats, conduit means including branches leading from said valve seats to said closet bowl, and means for independently imparting valve-opening movements to said valve balls, said last-mentioned means including a lever pivotally secured to the wall of the flushing tank above the level of the valve seats and cooperating valve balls and terminating at its outer end in a handle exteriorally of said wall, said lever being movable in opposite directions from an intermediate neutral position, a rocker arm mounted intermediate its ends for movements on a horizontal axis, the opposite end portions of said rocker arm each overlying a difierent one of said valve balls, lost motion linkage between one of said valve balls and the overlying end portion of said rocker arm, lost motion linkage between the other of said valve balls and the inner end portion of said lever, and linkage connecting the inner end portion of said lever and said rocker arm and responsive to movement of said lever in one direction only from said neutral position to impart movement to said rocker arm in a direction to raise one of said valve balls, movement of the lever in the opposite direction from said neutral position imparting raising movements to the other of said valve balls independently of said one thereof.

2. A closet bowl flushing device for use in a flushing tank comprising, a pair of horizontally disposed valve seats at different levels, a pair of valve-acting balls one each mounted for raising and lowering movements with respect to one of said valve seats, conduit means including branches leading from said valve seats to said closet bowl, a vertically disposed overflow pipe connected at its lower end to one of said branches, and means for independently imparting valve-opening movements to said valve balls, said last-mentioned means including a lever pivotally secured to a wall of the flushing tank above the level of the valve seats and cooperating valve balls and terminating at its outer end in a handle exteriorally of said wall, said lever being movable in opposite directions from an intermediate neutral position, a supporting bracket mounted on said overflow pipe, a rocker arm journalled intermediate its ends to said bracket for rocking movements on a horizontal axis, the opposite end portions of said rocker arm each overlying a different one of said valve balls, lost motion linkage between one of said valve balls and the overlying end portion of said rocker arm, lost motion linkage between the other of said valve balls and the inner end portion of said lever, a rigid link pivotally secured at its upper end to said lever and depending therefrom, the adjacent end of said rocker arm having an opening through which the intermediate portion of said link extends, and a rocker arm-engaging element on said link in overlying relationship to the adjacent end of said rocker arm and responsive to movement of said lever in one direction only from said neutral position to impart movement to said rocker arm in a direction to raise one of said valve balls, movement of the lever in the opposite direction from said neutral position imparting raising movements to the other of said valve balls independently of said one thereof and said rocker arm.

No references cited. 

